I completed a reptile survey on a local reserve last week, and found surprisingly little. There was a handful of slow worms, and a good scuttle of common lizards, but I failed to find a single snake which is a first for this site. I wasn’t unduly concerned. I deliberately opted to survey in theContinue reading “A flutter of wings”
Tag Archives: Nature
Buzzards…
To paraphrase a former Labour Party spin doctor, 2016 has been a good year to bury bad news. At least, it might have been if people were still worried about the need for dilution. What we have learned this year is that its okay to basically say whatever you want about whomever you want. ForContinue reading “Buzzards…”
Polarization
I often wonder how other people view ‘time’ in their minds. Mine shapes like a loop in a rollercoaster, blurred at the bottom, but specific dates (my birthday for one) always acting as an anchored point of reference. Rather like a compass needle, I ‘roll’ around the corkscrew to find my position in the year,Continue reading “Polarization”
The State of Nature
Today saw the publication of the latest State of Nature report – a ‘stock take’ of our wildlife made by over 50 of our conservation organisations. Unsurprisingly, the results do not make for pleasant reading. Well over half of our native species have declined since 1970 and one in ten are under threat from extinction.Continue reading “The State of Nature”
Waifs and Strays
August is an interesting month. Having been spinning in a post-referendum maelstrom, the Olympics (and a new football season) have provided a welcome distraction from the what-ifs, maybes and surely nots. Meanwhile, despite some decent temperatures and plenty of sunshine, there is a definite drift toward summer’s end. Heavy dews and a nip to theContinue reading “Waifs and Strays”
Smooth Operator
It seems quite incredible to consider that our rarest reptile, the smooth snake (Coronella austriaca) was only recognised as a British species in 1859. A specimen caught six years earlier had been previously dismissed as a grass snake (or variant of) and it was a man called Dr J E Gray who got round toContinue reading “Smooth Operator”
Trumpet Blowing
A month has passed since publication day and its very much a case of so far, so good for Rivers Run. Sales have been solid, book shops have been ever so generous with their product placement (testament to the design team at Rider) and, most importantly, people seem to be enjoying it. Aside from theContinue reading “Trumpet Blowing”
New Colours
It would be lovely to slow time down in spring. So much can change in a day, while over the course of a week, an empty sky is suddenly thick with swallows, and the yellows of celandines and primroses have been swamped by the blues and purples of violets and bluebells. With the sun high,Continue reading “New Colours”
Busy Busy
I like to reflect at the end of the fishing season, and enjoy a mildly indulgent reminisce. I don’t diary my catches and nor do I keep tallies of the fish I have taken, so it can be pleasantly surprising to look back and remind myself of some of the finer moments. This spring hasContinue reading “Busy Busy”
Branching Out
I was pretty good at German at school. In fact, I managed an ‘A’ – but a quarter of a century later its almost all gone – save the bare bones, swear words and smut. So when the latest edition of Am Haken magazine turned up in the post (on my birthday in fact –Continue reading “Branching Out”
Kevin Parr 